Energy Conserving Solar or Other Powered Retractable Landscape Light

ABSTRACT

The current inventive technology relates to methods and apparatus for a providing an energy efficient and durable landscape lamp. The lamp can retract when not in use to prevent damage. The high efficiency retractable landscape lamp of this invention may be powered by conventional distributed low voltage or by a solar photovoltaic (PV) source. In some embodiments the lamp may be powered by low voltage, it may be individually interchangeable with a conventional low voltage landscape lamp or may be installed in a low voltage lighting complete system. This lamp may house the electrical components and gearmotor in an upper dry compartment making it reliable in outdoor installations, even in wet environments. This invention can also relate to operation without the need for unreliable limit switches for the raising and lowering of the lamp.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to providing a landscape lamp which uses lessenergy and can last for years without the need for frequent replacement.The lamp can retract when not in use to prevent damage. Having the lampretract also makes easy lawn care possible. A retractable landscape lampof this invention may be powered by conventional distributed low voltageor by a solar photovoltaic (PV) source. If the lamp is powered by lowvoltage, it may be individually interchangeable with a conventional lowvoltage landscape lamp or may be installed in a low voltage lightingcomplete system. This lamp may house the electrical components andgearmotor in an upper dry compartment making it reliable in outdoorinstallations, even in wet environments. This invention can also relateto operation without the need for unreliable limit switches for theraising and lowering of the lamp. Efficient long life LED lamps are alsoprovided for. This lamp also makes use of inexpensive materials which incombination with the robust design makes it ultimately practical forwidespread use. The conservation of energy and replacement materialsmakes this landscape lamp ultimately green.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Recent landscape lighting has taken the advantage of high efficiencylong life LED bulbs. But the problems of low reliability and frequentreplacements remain. Landscape lights are useful at night and are in theway during the day. Just like sprinklers, it is obvious that having themretract when not in use protects the lamp and keeps them safe.Additionally, mowing around landscape lights or weed whacking aroundthem is troublesome. There have been many attempts to make practicalretractable landscape lights (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,068,773, 5,072,345,5,683,176, 7,261,443, and 7,476,006) but none have delivered the objectsof the invention herein disclosed.

This retractable landscape light is designed to be cost competitive withconventional low voltage landscape lighting or solar lighting but offersthe feature of being retractable. The idea of being retractable is notnew. There are many patents issued on retractable landscape lighting.But to date, no-one has invented a retractable lamp which contains allthe benefits which are disclosed in this patent application. U.S. Pat.No. 7,261,443 describes a retractable light powered by pneumatics. Otherinventions have an actuator mechanism located in the lower part of thelamp where water may gather. The ideas disclosed in prior art have notadequately enabled a widely useable landscape light which retracts whennot being used.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

There are several related but independent objects of this invention. Thefirst object is to make a landscape light that conserves energy. Anotheris to provide a light which retracts when not in use. Another object isto make a low voltage landscape light which may be individuallyinterchangeable with conventional low voltage lighting fixtures. Thatis, to make a light which is simply powered and connected in the sameway as a conventional landscape light. Such a lamp may operate withoutcausing any instability or overload to the existing installation. Thiscan allow a person to replace just the low voltage landscape lights in alawn (allowing easy mowing) without having to replace a whole landscapelighting system. Another object is to make a retractable solar poweredlamp. Another object of the invention is to use inexpensive materials asa part of making this invention practical. Another object of theinvention is to provide a lamp fixture which lasts for a reasonablenumber of years. One goal realized it is more reliable to provide a wayto have the electronics and drive motor located in a dry compartment,preferably in the top portion of the fixture. Another object of theinvention is to consume low power during start-up and normal operation.One goal notes it is helpful to find a way to use LED lights and toprovide a way for the motor operation to commence without drawingstart-up current which would affect the turn-on of a low voltage system.Another object of the invention necessary for low voltage power is amethod of providing electrical power to the lamp portion which, ofcourse, moves. Also it is an object to provide this connectivity whilesatisfying the need for code compliance. The lamp of invention can beefficient and lasts for years compared to months for conventional lamps.This makes the lamp of invention green in that it provides needednighttime lighting with very high efficiency while eliminating the needfor frequently replacing lamps damaged from daytime activities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a retractable landscape lamp in theretracted position.

FIG. 2 shows the same embodiment with the lamp in the extended positionfor clarity.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical control circuitry in anembodiment. There are three functions, one for driving the LEDs, one forcharging a battery and one for driving the gearmotor. These will bediscussed in the detailed disclosure in the electrical section.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As mentioned with respect to the field of invention, the inventionincludes a variety of aspects, which may be combined in different ways.The following descriptions are provided to list elements and describesome of the embodiments of the present invention. These elements arelisted with initial embodiments, however it should be understood thatthey may be combined in any manner and in any number to createadditional embodiments. The variously described examples and preferredembodiments should not be construed to limit the present invention toonly the explicitly described systems, techniques, and applications.Further, this description should be understood to support and encompassdescriptions and claims of all the various embodiments, systems,techniques, methods, devices, and applications with any number of thedisclosed elements, with each element alone, and also with any and allvarious permutations and combinations of all elements in this or anysubsequent application.

One of the surprising aspects of this embodiment is that it can beaccomplished with common and inexpensive materials. For example theextraordinary diffuser lens may be made from acrylic plastic (also maybe known as Plexiglas). The tubing for the support and drive mechanisms[1, 2, 3] may be made from PVC. The lead screw (or drive screw) [4] maybe a simple nylon threaded rod. Having invented this unexpectedcombination of common materials is one of the aspects of making aretractable landscape light practical for home use.

The upper section [5] can be a dry compartment housing all thevulnerable components. This can include the gearmotor [6], the LEDs [7],a battery [8], and control electronics [9]. This compartment may besealed with a vent if necessary. Or it may rely on being airtight andperhaps even utilizing air pressure to prevent water from filling up thelower support section to the level of the upper portion. The LEDs [7]may form a circle to provide uniform illumination.

As shown for this embodiment the gearmotor [6] shaft is coupled to thedrive screw [4]. The drive screw can also be threaded into the drive nut[10] which can be fixed to the inner concentric support member [3]. Asthe gearmotor turns the drive screw the upper section is raised orlowered depending on the direction the gearmotor is energized. In thisembodiment a section of wire (not shown) may pass along the inside ofthe middle support member [2] and is attached to this member at the topand bottom. This wire can slide through a slot (not shown) in the centersupport member [3]. This wire passing through the slot can prevent theupper section from spinning when the gearmotor is powered.

This is a description of one preferred embodiment. There are manyembodiments which will be understood by one skilled in the art with theattributes described here. Many variants are included by understandingthat the examples are intended to be illustrative but not limiting. Forexample, a tube may be understood to be round or square or it may beconstructed of open structural members accomplishing the same function.The lamp could be incandescent. The battery may be a large capacitor, orit may be rechargeable or not.

In embodiments a tightly associated relationship between the mechanicaland electrical aspects of this invention taken together may enableremarkable results. With this invention one may replace a singleconventional low voltage landscape lamp with a retractable lamp. One maysimply dig up the conventional lamp and remove the wires from thedistribution cable. Next it may be necessary to dig a larger hole. Toinstall the retractable lamp simply place the retractable lamp in thehole, connect the wires to the same distribution cable and fill in thehole. Installing the lamp vertically and firmly provides the opportunityto enjoy this retractable lamp for many years as it is protected fromthe damaging daytime activities.

One valuable aspect of this invention is that the gearmotor may belocated in the top portion. With the arrangement of this embodiment thegearmotor may be housed in a dry compartment differentiating thisinvention from prior art. This can be an important element to achieveinterchangeability with conventional lamps as past art may embody theliability of having degradable parts of the drive mechanism located inportions of the lamp which may be covered by water. For a low voltagelandscape lamp to be interchangeable on an existing installation it maysatisfy any one or combination of the following criteria. First thepower consumption might be equal to or less than the lamp beingreplaced. Second the power consumption might not have any surges whichwould cause instability. Third, it might utilize connections that areconsistent with existing one with little or even no changes. Fourth, itmight be mechanically similar in any number of respects perhaps such aslength, depth, width, diameter, or other regards.

Dedicated space in the top portion for the gearmotor may also preventthe lower tubes from having to be longer (for housing the drivemechanics or motor)—necessitating a deeper hole for installation. Tosupport the drive mechanism in the upper section can also require athree piece support system in the lower support section as compared to atwo piece construction of prior art retractable lamps. To be accurate itis possible to use a two piece support but this may require the lampsupport post to be slotted (not shown) which is not as attractive. Butthe slotted post concept is included as an option. Another option mayinclude using two vertical lamp posts and housing the motor at the topof the outer support structure.

Again referring to FIG. 1, it may be seen that the support system forsome embodiments may include three concentric tubes or support membersand a threaded rod. This support section is intended for being buried inthe ground [20] and may contain materials which will not degrade overtime when subjected to water and natural outdoor environmentalconditions. The outer tube [1] may simply be a protective housing.Attached to the top of this tube can be a section with a large enoughdiameter to protect the lamp portion when the lamp is retracted [21]. Inthis way robustness is achieved for being run over by a riding lawnmower or perhaps even a car. This is adequate protection for commonlyoccurring activities in a lawn. The protective housing may extend enoughabove the lamp portion to provide this safety. In particular, a tirerunning over this lamp will have a radius. The top of the lamp portionmay be lower than the protective piece minus the effect of the tireradius as can be understood.

The next tube inward [2] in this embodiment can be the moving lamp post.This post may perform several functions. First, it supports the lampportion. It also may perform the function of having the electricalconductors along it's inside surface. This wire may be held taught andslide in a groove in the inner support post. There may also be a nut orpost protruding from the inward surface of the lamp post which slides inthe inner post as a guide to prevent spinning of the lamp. The manymeans for preventing the lamp from spinning are considered asincorporated. This moving lamp post may be shorter than the other twoposts. In its retracted position a shorter post allows room for coiledwire in an open cylindrical space [17] between the outer post and theinner post.

The inner post [3] may be attached to a bottom piece and may provide afew needed functions. This can be a support post for the moving lamppost. Near or at the top of this post may be a captive (metal orplastic) nut. This may be a cage-nut or other means to allow formisalignment or curvature of the lead screw. Inside the inmost post maybe a threaded nylon (or any material will work) rod being used as a leadscrew or drive screw. This threaded rod may be coaxial with the innerpost and may pass through the captive nut. When the threaded rod isrotated in one direction it may force the lamp post to rise. The drivegearmotor (discussed later) can be bidirectional. When it rotates theother direction the lamp retracts into its protective outer supportmember. The inner post may have a groove in it to work in coordinationwith the lamp post to house the electrical conductors and perform thefunction of preventing the lamp from spinning. A guide pin may also beused to prevent spinning.

Felt or other stabilizing pieces may be used to provide damping or othermitigation of undesirable shaking or uncontrolled motion as the lamp israised or lowered. It may be seen that this damping could take manyforms. Examples of some places for the use of stabilizer rings include:around the inside of the top of the outer tube, [1], around the insideof the bottom of the middle tube [2], and around the outside of the topon the inner tube [3].

Attention to the coupling of the gearmotor to the threaded rod can beimportant. In mechanical systems there are often misalignments which mayneed to be managed. In one simple embodiment the threaded drive rod mayhave an axial hole centered in the top for the gearmotor shaft. Thegearmotor in this embodiment had a 3 mm D shaft. To aid in securing therod to the shaft a nut was screwed onto the top of the threaded rod (inthis disclosure the terms lead screw and threaded rod may be usedinterchangeably) and a two set screws inserted. The first set screw toengage the flat on the motor shaft. A second set screw may be used tooppose the force of the first and provide desirable balance.

Another simple preferred embodiment for coupling the drive shaft to thelead screw can provide tolerance for angular misalignment. Thisembodiment may utilize an axial hole in one end of the threaded rodwhich may be sized slightly larger than the drive shaft. The drive shaftfrom the motor may not have a flat in this embodiment. For this coupler,both the drive shaft and the lead screw have radial holes through them.A coupling pin may be inserted through the threaded rod and the hole inthe motor shaft. The radial hole in the drive shaft may be sizedslightly larger than the coupling pin. This coupling method can betolerant of misalignment between the angles of the drive shaft and thelead screw preventing much of the potential radial thrust from beingtransferred to the drive shaft. The axial hole in the threaded rod maybe sized for the maximum angular misalignment expected. This action issimilar in nature to what is called a universal joint. Small washers orspacers may surround the coupling pin between the outside of the driveshaft and the inside of the lead screw.

This gearmotor when running may rotate the nylon drive screw and maycause the lamp head, motor and all, to rise (the motor as though bylifting itself up by its bootstraps!). During this motion the gearmotorgenerates axial thrust and depending on the gearmotor, may or may notrequire a thrust bearing. The gearmotors utilized in various embodimentscan include 12 and 16 mm diameter gearmotors among others. A typicalgearmotor may operate on 6 volts and have a 20:1 to a 100:1 gear ratioand have an output rpm in the range of 500. The stall torque may be inthe range of 1 kg-cm with a stall current of in the range 1 amp.Obviously a wide range of gearmotors may be used. The electronicsincluding the motor drive will be covered later. But there is a featureof using the full motor torque at the initialization of travel andreducing the current available prior to the end of travel. This can makeit possible to avoid expensive limit switches physically located todetect end of travel. There may be a mechanical stop to the end oftravel. There are many possible locations for this mechanical stop. Theupper stop could simply be a cap nut screwed onto the bottom of thedrive screw. The lower stop could be the top section bottoming out intoits rest position. The drive mechanism simply pushes against this stopuntil a predetermined time expires. When resuming in the oppositedirection, the full torque may be used. This allows the mechanism toalways start and break free from any stresses of stopping orenvironmental barriers like soiling or icing. Having a mechanism withoutlimit switches makes this embodiment much simpler, less expensive andmore reliable over time as things wear or shift.

The luminous part of this invention may provide a beautiful uniformwhite light around the exterior surface of the diffuser lens [14]. Thelight source may consist of LED lamps [7], an electrical drive circuitand a diffuser lens. The LEDs in one embodiment may be 8 mm whitestraw-hat LEDs. An arrangement of 6 LEDs may be used to begin theprocess of making this a uniform radiator. The straw-hat configurationof LEDs can also aid the diffusion process by providing a wide radiationangle. The shape of the diffuser lens may be chosen to fill severalsimultaneous functions. First is the location in the lamp head as asupport member. A curved or angled surface [16] may be machined (orotherwise manufactured) into the center portion. This curved surface maybe uniformly roughened or frosted. The outer surface may also beuniformly roughened. These two roughened surfaces can serve to diffusethe light. Light from the LEDs may also be sent in random directionswhen entering the diffuser lens. Light may also be sent in scattereddirections when exiting the lens. In addition another property of anacrylic (or other high index of refraction material) lens is that theindex of refraction may be high enough to prevent much light fromescaping the remaining (upper and lower) smooth surfaces.

Another important aspect of some embodiments can be the method fordelivering the electrical power from the entry in the lower portion tothe moving upper lamp portion. The outer tube and inner tube may extendbeyond the lamp post tube by a distance in the range of an inch, more orless. In this space [17], the power wires (not shown) may be looselycoiled around the inner tube. The wires may continue along an insidesurface of the lamp post as described earlier. When the lamp post israised, the loosely coiled wire may gently slide through the spacebetween the inner and outer tubes, slowly reducing the diameter of thecoil as the length is increased. Adequate “slack” may be included forthe desired range of motion desired.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for the electrical operation disclosed.The electronics of this embodiment may also include only inexpensivecomponents. The embodiment shown in the FIG. 3 schematic does not makeuse of any integrated circuits. There are a few tradeoffs which havebeen made in this embodiment which are not restrictive to the scope ofthe invention. It is possible for example to make a drive mechanismwhich does not require stored energy. It could be spring operated forthe release of the lamp when power is removed. For this embodimenthowever stored energy may be by means of a rechargeable battery [8].Having a battery though enables one unexpected feature of thisinvention. While power is actually available, the gearmotor may becontrolled to always operate from the battery for both the raising andlowering of the lamp. This may prevent a surge of power at turn-on. Forlarge landscape systems a large surge at turn-on could causeinstability. The battery may also provide a regulated voltage sourcewhich may be convenient for the motor control. It is easy to keep thisbattery charged as it is only used less than a minute a day but hashours/day to charge. Trickle charging the battery uses such a smallamount of current it may be safely ignored when calculating the overallpower required for the lamp. The battery used in this particularembodiment may be a 5 cell 1/3AAA or 2/3AAA NiMH battery pack. If longperiods of non-use or shelf life are expected, a low self-dischargebattery may be used. Charging of the battery for a low voltage landscapelamp occurs at night utilizing a small trickle charge from thedistributed power. For a solar light the charging of this battery may befrom a photovoltaic source during the daytime.

One method of stabilizing a low voltage landscape lighting system havingretractable lamps may be to provide energy storage to operate the drivemechanism. This may leave only the luminary itself to be powered plus asmall trickle charging current for the energy storage. The largercurrent required to operate the motor might cause overload orinstability of the system if the drive mechanism is drawing power fromthe input connection during turn-on. A delay of the drive system atturn-on may also accomplish this stability but some randomization of thestart times may be necessary to prevent all the drive mechanisms fromdrawing current at once.

The input power is shown as V1 [24]. This could be a 12 VAC low voltagesource or may be a solar PV input. The discussion centers on a lowvoltage input but simple scaling changes may be made for a solar PVinput as one skilled in the art will understand.

There may be three key functions of the electronic circuitry: the lampdriver, battery charger and the motor control. Referring to theschematic in FIG. 3, the motor control [25] may consist of an H-Switchfor bidirectional control of the motor direction. This H-Switch could bean integrated circuit but for cost reasons four FETs (T2, 3, 4, 5) couldbe used as in this embodiment. Two P-channel FETs [26] and two N-channelFETs [27] may be used. There may also be a FET [28] in series with thelower H-Switch FETs. This series switch [28] may be controlled toprovide a short period of low impedance at the initialization of the upor down motion. That is, there may be no current limit at theinitialization of movement in either direction. After this period theFET may be turned off and a current limiting resistor (perhaps in therange of 7 ohms) [29] may be left in the circuit. This resistance may beconsidered part of a current limiter circuit as it causes the appliedgate voltage to the lower H-switch FETs to be reduced. The FETs in theH-switch may be powered for a longer period than the time required tomove the lamp up or down. After the lamp reached full up or downposition the gearmotor may be in a stall condition with a current limitin place. Simple RC timing circuitry on each of the FET gate limits thedrive time to slightly longer than that required for travel. This canmake it possible to do away with locational limit switches. As mentionedearlier, when motion resumes in the opposite direction, full gearmotortorque may be utilized due to the function of the series FET [28]. Motordirection may be controlled by a FET such as T6 [30]. No mechanicalswitches may be required for this embodiment. In addition, no locationallimit switches may be required. This can provide for robust, longlifetime operation.

The battery charger [31] may be a simple trickle charger consisting ofR1, D3 and the battery V2 [8]. This circuit may provide pulsing currentand may not utilize energy storage elements in the charger circuitry.

Another function for the electrical control circuitry may be to powerthe luminary [32]. The preferred luminary comprises LED lamps but anylamp will work as one skilled in the art knows. In the preferredembodiment for a low voltage connection, the LEDs are driven usingextremely simple circuitry [32]. Instead of using an integrated drivercircuit, a single transistor [33] may be used to regulate the currentthrough strings of LEDs [34]. In the preferred embodiment two strings ofthree series LEDs may be used. Each string of three LEDs may have acurrent balancing series resistance. The two strings with resistors maybe connected in parallel. A bipolar transistor [33] may be used toregulate the total current through these paralleled strings. Using theLEDs in series may build voltage and may make it efficient to use theconventional 12 VAC low voltage source without needing a special driver.The transistor [33] can be rated for high voltage to allow reliableoperation during an input voltage surge. A simple diode bridge [34] mayconvert the 12 VAC to pulsing DC for the LED drive. The pulsating DC mayalso be used for trickle charging the battery. There may be no largeelectrolytic capacitor necessary to store energy. All the LED circuitrymay operate from a surge two times per AC cycle. As an alternative, anenergy storage device such as an electrolytic capacitor may be used tosmooth the lamp power and the light output. A connection point could beacross the input bride output or across the combination LED and currentbalancing resistors.

One feature of some embodiments may be that this lamp may providesimilar light output as a 10 watt or higher incandescent source whilenever consuming more than 2 or 3 watts. Further, the system may providecapability, including retractability, normally might require a higherelectrical load at much lower loads, akin to providing a 10 watt systemwith only a 2-3 watt level of load times the number of lights included.This is partly due to the high efficiency of the LED lamps and thesimple LED lamp driver circuitry. But it is also due to the isolation ofthe motor drive from the input power when the motor is in use. The motormay be primarily powered from the battery. The battery may be tricklecharged at a very low current spread over the entire time the lamp ispowered. At the same time this lamp may draw such low power consumptionit may also provide the feature of being retractable. The ability toretract during the day eliminates one reason landscape lamps arereplaced—that being damage cause by abuse. The LED lamps also eliminatea second fundamental reason for lamp replacement—that being replacing anincandescent bulb. The combination of efficient light generation andisolation of the motor drive surges may make the peak power to lie inthe range of less than 2 watts or less than 3 watts. The combination ofthe features herein disclosed can make this lamp truly green. It cantake little power to operate and it can eliminates most of the reasonswhich exist today for frequent replacement of landscape lamps. The factthe materials utilized in this landscape lamp are common inexpensivematerials is simply additional goodness for this invention.

As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts ofthe present invention may be embodied in a variety of ways. It involvesboth energy conserving solar or other power landscape light techniquesas well as devices. In this application, the energy conserving solar orother power landscape light techniques are disclosed as part of theresults shown to be achieved by the various elements and devicesdescribed and as steps which are inherent to utilization. They aresimply the natural result of utilizing the devices and elements asintended and described. In addition, while some elements are disclosed,it should be understood that these not only accomplish certain methodsbut also can be varied in a number of ways. Importantly, as to all ofthe foregoing, all of these facets should be understood to beencompassed by this disclosure.

The discussion included in this application is intended to serve as abasic description. The reader should be aware that the specificdiscussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible; manyalternatives are implicit. It also may not fully explain the genericnature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature orelement can actually be representative of a broader function or of agreat variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these areimplicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is describedin device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitlyperforms a function. Apparatus claims may not only be included for thedevices and elements described, but also method or process claims may beincluded to address the functions the invention and each elementperforms. Neither the description nor the terminology is intended tolimit the scope of the claims that will be included in any subsequentpatent application.

It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be madewithout departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes arealso implicitly included in the description. They still fall within thescope of this invention. A broad disclosure encompassing both theexplicit embodiment(s) shown, the great variety of implicit alternativeembodiments, and the broad methods or processes and the like areencompassed by this disclosure and may be relied upon when drafting theclaims for any subsequent patent application. It should be understoodthat such language changes and broader or more detailed claiming may beaccomplished at a later date. With this understanding, the reader shouldbe aware that this disclosure is to be understood to support anysubsequently filed patent application that may seek examination of asbroad a base of claims as deemed within the applicant's right and may bedesigned to yield a patent covering numerous aspects of the inventionboth independently and as an overall system.

Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims mayalso be achieved in a variety of manners. Additionally, when used orimplied, an element is to be understood as encompassing individual aswell as plural structures that may or may not be physically connected.This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation,be it a variation of an embodiment of any apparatus embodiment, a methodor process embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element ofthese. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosurerelates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may beexpressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method terms—even if only thefunction or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even moregeneric terms should be considered to be encompassed in the descriptionof each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desiredto make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this inventionis entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that allactions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as anelement which causes that action. Similarly, each physical elementdisclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the actionwhich that physical element facilitates. Regarding this last aspect, asbut one example, the disclosure of a “coupler” should be understood toencompass disclosure of the act of “coupling”—whether explicitlydiscussed or not—and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure ofthe act of “coupling”, such a disclosure should be understood toencompass disclosure of a “coupler” and even a “means for coupling.”Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitlyincluded in the description.

Any patents, publications, or other references mentioned in thisapplication for patent or its list of references are hereby incorporatedby reference. Any priority case(s) claimed at any time by this or anysubsequent application are hereby appended and hereby incorporated byreference. In addition, as to each term used it should be understoodthat unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with abroadly supporting interpretation, common dictionary definitions shouldbe understood as incorporated for each term and all definitions,alternative terms, and synonyms such as contained in the Random HouseWebster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition are hereby incorporatedby reference. Finally, all references listed in this application,perhaps in the Information Disclosure Statement or the Specificationother information statement filed with or included in the applicationare hereby appended and hereby incorporated by reference, however, as toeach of the above, to the extent that such information or statementsincorporated by reference might be considered inconsistent with thepatenting of this/these invention(s) such statements are expressly notto be considered as made by the applicant(s).

Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to have support to claim andmake a statement of invention to at least: i) each of the energyconserving solar or other power landscape light devices as hereindisclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed anddescribed, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations ofeach of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative designs whichaccomplish each of the functions shown as are disclosed and described,v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of thefunctions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosedand described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separateand independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by thevarious systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting productsproduced by such systems or components, ix) each system, method, andelement shown or described as now applied to any specific field ordevices mentioned, x) methods and apparatuses substantially as describedhereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, xi)the various combinations and permutations of each of the elementsdisclosed, xii) each potentially dependent claim or concept as adependency on each and every one of the independent claims or conceptspresented, and xiii) all inventions described herein.

In addition and as to computerized aspects and each aspect amenable toprogramming or other programmable electronic automation, theapplicant(s) should be understood to have support to claim and make astatement of invention to at least: xiv) processes performed with theaid of or on a computer as described throughout the above discussion,xv) a programmable apparatus as described throughout the abovediscussion, xvi) a computer readable memory encoded with data to directa computer comprising means or elements which function as describedthroughout the above discussion, xvii) a computer configured as hereindisclosed and described, xviii) individual or combined subroutines andprograms as herein disclosed and described, xix) the related methodsdisclosed and described, xx) similar, equivalent, and even implicitvariations of each of these systems and methods, xxi) those alternativedesigns which accomplish each of the functions shown as are disclosedand described, xxii) those alternative designs and methods whichaccomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplishthat which is disclosed and described, xxiii) each feature, component,and step shown as separate and independent inventions, and xxiv) thevarious combinations and permutations of each of the above.

With regard to claims whether now or later presented for examination, itshould be understood that for practical reasons and so as to avoid greatexpansion of the examination burden, the applicant may at any timepresent only initial claims or perhaps only initial claims with onlyinitial dependencies. The office and any third persons interested inpotential scope of this or subsequent applications should understandthat broader claims may be presented at a later date in this case, in acase claiming the benefit of this case, or in any continuation in spiteof any preliminary amendments, other amendments, claim language, orarguments presented, thus throughout the pendency of any case there isno intention to disclaim or surrender any potential subject matter. Boththe examiner and any person otherwise interested in existing or laterpotential coverage, or considering if there has at any time been anypossibility of an indication of disclaimer or surrender of potentialcoverage, should be aware that in the absence of explicit statements, nosuch surrender or disclaimer is intended or should be considered asexisting in this or any subsequent application. Limitations such asarose in Hakim v. Cannon Avent Group, PLC, 479 F.3d 1313 (Fed. Cir2007), or the like are expressly not intended in this or any subsequentrelated matter.

In addition, support should be understood to exist to the degreerequired under new matter laws—including but not limited to EuropeanPatent Convention Article 123(2) and United States Patent Law 35 USC 132or other such laws—to permit the addition of any of the variousdependencies or other elements presented under one independent claim orconcept as dependencies or elements under any other independent claim orconcept. In drafting any claims at any time whether in this applicationor in any subsequent application, it should also be understood that theapplicant has intended to capture as full and broad a scope of coverageas legally available. To the extent that insubstantial substitutes aremade, to the extent that the applicant did not in fact draft any claimso as to literally encompass any particular embodiment, and to theextent otherwise applicable, the applicant should not be understood tohave in any way intended to or actually relinquished such coverage asthe applicant simply may not have been able to anticipate alleventualities; one skilled in the art, should not be reasonably expectedto have drafted a claim that would have literally encompassed suchalternative embodiments.

Further, if or when used, the use of the transitional phrase“comprising” is used to maintain the “open-end” claims herein, accordingto traditional claim interpretation. Thus, unless the context requiresotherwise, it should be understood that the term “comprise” orvariations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, are intended to implythe inclusion of a stated element or step or group of elements or stepsbut not the exclusion of any other element or step or group of elementsor steps. Such terms should be interpreted in their most expansive formso as to afford the applicant the broadest coverage legally permissible.

Finally, any claims set forth at any time are hereby incorporated byreference as part of this description of the invention, and theapplicant expressly reserves the right to use all of or a portion ofsuch incorporated content of such claims as additional description tosupport any of or all of the claims or any element or component thereof,and the applicant further expressly reserves the right to move anyportion of or all of the incorporated content of such claims or anyelement or component thereof from the description into the claims orvice-versa as necessary to define the matter for which protection issought by this application or by any subsequent continuation, division,or continuation-in-part application thereof, or to obtain any benefitof, reduction in fees pursuant to, or to comply with the patent laws,rules, or regulations of any country or treaty, and such contentincorporated by reference shall survive during the entire pendency ofthis application including any subsequent continuation, division, orcontinuation-in-part application thereof or any reissue or extensionthereon.

1. A low voltage retractable landscape lamp comprising: a lower supportsection; an upper lamp head section housing a drive motor; low voltageinterconnect wires; wherein said low voltage retractable lamp isindividually interchangeable with conventional low voltage lamps; andsaid low voltage retractable lamp is powered completely through said lowvoltage interconnect wires.
 2. A low voltage retractable landscape lampas described in claim 1, wherein said upper lamp head comprises at leastone LED illuminator.
 3. A low voltage retractable landscape lamp asdescribed in claim 2, and further comprising a combination lens anddiffuser made from plastic.
 4. A low voltage retractable landscape lampas described in claim 1, wherein the lower support section comprises aplurality of concentric support members.
 5. (canceled)
 6. A low voltageretractable landscape lamp as described in claim 1, wherein said upperlamp head section is configured to maintain the drive motor in a drycondition.
 7. A low voltage retractable landscape lamp as described inclaim 6, and further comprising at least one internal energy storageelement configured to prevent the motor from drawing a surge of powerfrom said low voltage interconnect wires.
 8. A retractable landscapelamp comprising: an upper lamp head section; a motor that raises andlowers said lamp head section wherein said upper lamp head section isprotective of said motor. 9-37. (canceled)
 38. An environmentally greenlandscape lamp comprising: a mechanism for retraction of a lamp when notin use; an efficient LED light source; an energy storage device;circuitry configured to isolate the drive mechanism power from the inputpower; circuitry configured to achieve low power consumption; andmechanical protection from abuses which lead to lamp replacement.
 39. Anenvironmentally green landscape lamp as described in claim 38 whereinsaid environmentally green landscape lamp is powered from a low voltage,such that the maximum power required to operate said lamp at any time isless than 2 watts and/or less than 3 watts.
 40. An environmentally greenlandscape lamp as described in claim 39 wherein the materials used toproduce the lamp are inexpensive.
 41. An environmentally green landscapelamp as described in claim 38, and further comprising a current limitfor a drive motor when in the normal drive condition and no currentlimit at initial movement.
 42. An environmentally green landscape lampas described in claim 41, and further comprising an energy storageelement in each lamp that primarily operates the drive mechanism.
 43. Anenvironmentally green landscape lamp as described in claim 42, andfurther comprising at least one minimal power consumption LED lamp. 44.An environmentally green landscape lamp as described in claim 43,wherein said LED lamp comprises at least one LED lamp powered by asimple current limiter circuit.
 45. An environmentally green landscapelamp as described in claim 44, and further comprising electrical drivecircuitry having current limiting circuitry to limit torque prior to anend of travel.
 46. An environmentally green landscape lamp as describedin claim 45, and further comprising a time limit element to limit thetime the motor is operated after lamp travel has stopped.
 47. Anenvironmentally green landscape lamp as described in claim 46, andfurther comprising simple RC circuitry that derives a time limit.
 48. Anenvironmentally green landscape lamp as described in claim 47, andfurther comprising drive circuitry that allows full motor torque at theonset of motion and reduced torque prior to an end of travel.
 49. Anenvironmentally green landscape lamp as described in claim 48, andfurther comprising drive circuitry having a current limiter bypasscircuit to achieve full motor torque.
 50. An environmentally greenlandscape lamp as described in claim 49, and further comprising acombination of a current limit and a time limit used to limit powerdissipation in the drive mechanism after end of travel has been reachedrather than relying on any form of locational limit switches.